*Cherry Blossom Dress

Description

*I know these are not cherry blossoms. They may in fact be gerbera daisies, but for some reason this dress reminds me of cherry blossoms, so that is what I called it.

I used New Look pattern #6912 – the dress was supposed to have ties at the midriff but I omitted them and instead may make a separate tie using contrasting fabric (black or perhaps red) to add as a sash.
The pattern is not supposed to be lined but I did line it. I used self fabric for the lining of the cowl/front bodice and lined the rest with red lining. The dress fabric is opaque enough that the red does not show through. I chose red so the tiniest bit of red edge would be noticeable along the back neckline and arm holes. The dress has an invisible side zip and back walking slit.

I searched the internet for a method of inserting an invisible zipper with a full lining by machine but I could not find anything useful, so I invented my own way. First attached the lining by machine at the neckline and armscyes. Then, I inserted the invisible zip into the outer fabric. I folded the lining away from the seam allowance at the armscye where the zipper would start prior to attaching the zip. After the zip was inserted, I turned the dress inside out so that the teeth of the zipper were hidden from view. I folded the lining back down against the outer fabric and then sewed the lining fabric down against the seam allowance of the zip. Then trim. Turn the dress right side out and the zipper tape is hidden between the outer fabric and lining. I should probably take pictures of this and put up a tutorial if anyone is interested.

Material Notes

Dress: polyester from Joanns; it’s a heavier weight than the typical charmeuse and it has a nice drape. The lining is cheap polyester that is really, really static-y and disintegrates immediately after being cut. I finally broke down and bought some pinking shears after making this because I feared the lining would not last.

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